Life on the Road – Trucking News Blog

Hot, hot – I said hot as in hot JIT load. Big, big, heavy aluminum coil. About 47,000 lbs. 10 chains and tightly tarped. Got to get there. Muy importante! Hustle, hustle, hustle. Destination – Pine Bluff, AK. Operations calls them. Ring, ring. Hi, is this receiving? Yeah. What are your receiving hours? Big, really big coil on the way. 7-11am, BUT since you’re bringing in a big, big, heavy aluminum coil we’ll take it until 3pm. And we need it ASAP! Great. Thank you.

On time, every time is my motto. Drive till the “wee” hours of the morning. And I hate driving in the dark. But it’s JIT! Have a little trouble finding the place. Dispatch provided me the directions. No wonder. Ever been to Pine Bluff? Lotsa little roads traveled on by big trucks going to factories back in the woods. Not many legible signs since the Civil War. This is no exception. I double back. Got to be that way. My GPS is on the fritz. Follow my instincts. There, over there, there it is. Big building. Got to slow down. No quick turns with a big heavy coil. Ah, ha – there’s the sign for the entrance.

I pull in. Wait. What? I move forward. Weeds everywhere. A rusty fence. There’s a old guy over there. He’s watching the property. Make sure nothing is taken. Why? BECAUSE THEY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS MONTHS AGO! That’s why. I’m there well before the 3pm close. Like it really matters now. This old man is the only human within miles. The phone number that was called to ask about receiving hours was a Pine Bluff exchange. That is a local Pine Bluff number that is transferred automatically to the Chicago plant where they receive coils – no later than 3pm. That’s 847 miles, about 13 hours away. Should we say NIT instead of JIT for not in time?

The shipper screwed up. And the old man smiles. Chicago he says. The big, big, heavy shiny aluminum coil should have gone to Chicago, not Pine Bluff. So right there and then its me, the old guy and the really big coil. I’m not taking it to Chicago. Screw that. Re-power the damn thing.

A week later. Ring, ring. Hi there, is this the Kenworth dealer? Yes. Are you still at the same location that’s listed in the North American Services Guide? Absolutely. Could you give me directions please? Well, uh, hum – listen, if I give you directions, you’ll end up in Vegas, like me. Chuckle, chuckle. I do not respond for a second. I say, “Ok, well, I’ll find it.” With all due respect to the folks in Salt Lake – are you all taking drugs? You’re really weird. Your trucks are all too long. What’s with those 20 ft trailers you shelp around everywhere attached to your other 48 footer? How did you get that approved? Everyone drives like maniacs.  You work like you’re in slow motion or something. Beautiful place, but I can’t wait to leave. Ahhhhh!

I plug the address in Map Quest. Back comes the directions. I go. And go. And go. I’m in front of the address listed in the KW North American Services Guide. I dare not waste my time and call the number again. Can’t imagine what she’ll say next. Twirling her hair “Are you in Vegas or what, honey?” I’ll lose it.

I go to the KW web site. I click on the dealer locator. The KW dealership isn’t in Salt Lake anymore. They moved! To West Valley City, UT. Where the heck is that? Let’s see – that’s I15 to I80 to UT210 to S 3100 W to 2100 West (or something like that) get off the exit and make an immediate left – go down to the stop sign (seems like forever) and make an immediate left and then an immediate right. What moron moved it here?

2 hours later – yes, I said 2 hours later – after trying to find the old location from where I was in Tooele, UT, then time on the net looking up the new address, getting directions – punching the life (feathers) out of my poor pillow – sorry – then “relocating” to the new location. By the time I got there, they were closing and couldn’t look at the truck until sometime Monday. I give up.

Communication. What can I say?

The credit for the photo is: http://www.csupomona.edu/~myin/ece315.htm